Plastic films are currently used as substrates for outdoor signage in which graphics are printed on a film and the printed film is adhered to a surface with pressure sensitive adhesive. The graphics printed on the film typically include identification information, such as a company name or trademark, advertising, instructional information, product identification, decorative designs such as striping, etc. Some of the applications for outdoor signage of this type include printed panels on trucks and truck trailers, rental trailers, aircraft and other vehicles and, to a lesser extent, exterior architectural signage. Thus, major users of the type of outdoor signage material under consideration are owners and operators of fleets of trucks, trailers, vans, and airplanes. The printed graphics to be applied to an exterior surface can range in size from very small to very large, such as in the case of graphics that cover the side of a truck trailer. Delivery of printed outdoor graphics of this type to the end user typically involves several companies or entities between the manufacturer of the sheet material and the end user. The manufacturer produces an assembly of unprinted sheet material including an unprinted layer of plastic film that will be used for the final signage; the unprinted sheet material is purchased by a printing company that prints the end user's selected graphics on the film, overcoats the printed graphics with a clear coating if required, and laminates an application tape over the printed graphics; last, a company specializing in the application of graphics of the subject type will apply the printed films to the end user's equipment or buildings.
The prior art concerning sheet materials of the type to which this invention relates is described below in part 2 of the detailed description of this patent. One of the principal objectives of our invention is to provide a new construction for a sheet material assembly for use in producing printed exterior signage. Another principal objective of our present invention is to provide a new sheet material construction for printed outdoor signage that will provide the end user with enhanced performance as to weatherability and protection of the printed graphics. A further principal objective of our invention is to provide an assembly of sheet material to be printed with graphics for exterior signage that will facilitate and enhance the application of the printed film to a surface. These and other objectives of the invention will become apparent from the detailed description presented below with regard to the prior art, the new constructions of the present invention and comparison of our new sheet materials to those of the prior art.